Do I have to be a believer?

I honestly just don’t have a lot of time to ponder the question of god. I am not for, or against, any religion, and have a firm belief in live and let live. I went to a Catholic university, send my kid to a Jewish preschool – I am not here to judge, just to learn.

“Researchers found that only 28 percent of biology teachers consistently follow the recommendations of the National Research Council to describe straightforwardly the evidence for evolution and explain the ways in which it is a unifying theme in all of biology. At the other extreme, 13 percent explicitly advocate creationism, and spend at least an hour of class time presenting it in a positive light.

That leaves what the authors call “the cautious 60 percent,” who avoid controversy by endorsing neither evolution nor its unscientific alternatives. In various ways, they compromise.”

I find it interesting that this report came out and it fell on deaf ears. Regardless of your belief in, or disbelief in, intelligent design, it should have raised alarm bells. This report is telling me that over 70% of biology teachers do not teach evolution as science, and bring in theory, such as Intelligent Design, as an alternative.

Since this can be a very polarizing topic, let me propose another theory that could be taught in sciences class: The Paleolithic Diet. It basically says that we are genetically adapted to the diet of our Paleolithic ancestors, and eating the way of our ancestors is optimal for health.

While there are many supporters of this theory, I’m not sure I want my teenager to start eating only grass-fed meat and vegetables, and excluding all grains, dairy, and beans based on a theory his science teacher told him about nutrition and the human body.

I don’t think I’ll get a lot of resistance when I say that Paleolithic Diet Theory should not be part of a public school biology class curriculum. And if a teacher was found to be including it, I would have to think there would be a reprimand, warning, or even a termination.

Many people will have single biology class in their entire lifetime. Everything they learn about science, they will learn in 10th grade. Based on this report, your children in public school have a high likelihood of learning about evolution as only a theory and encountering alternate theories, predominantly Intelligent Design, as viable alternatives.

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About Blurb My Enthusiasm40-something-yrs-old and I still don't know what I want to be when I grow up. My resume reads like a food court menu: educator, dog walker, product manager, executive director, managing editor - and that's just the notable titles. I entertain all offers and consider myself up for the job until someone tells me I'm not. I've never been fired.
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4 Responses to Do I have to be a believer?

I’m not sure about those stats. I’ve never once heard about creationism in biology lessons by any teacher from any of my schools… I’m not saying evolution isn’t true, but I don’t think the teachers should say ‘it is fact, and that’s that’, which is all I’ve ever experienced from years of biology. I’ve heard many great scientific examples on evidence contradicting evolution, but not inside the classroom… Why shouldn’t pupils be taught a little on this too?

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a firm believer in evolution all of my life. It’s only recently I’ve actually thought, why have a look at the other side of the argument?

I thought I’d just find a ‘God did it, so believe it’ (as many scientists belittle the idea as though there is nothing to it) but was surprised to find some good scientific arguments. I’m not saying I therefore no longer ‘believe’ in evolution… Not at all.

I just think it’s good to have understanding all types of view, and let people make their own decisions.